Learned Behavior
by TheJediAshCash
Summary: Sequel to: Well, Happy Easter. The last person the Winter Soldier expects to help him is a mere child.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi all! I got a lot of positive reviews, feedback and a few asks for a continuation on my last story "Well, Happy Easter." This is the sequel to that which will be a full story. You can read the first one here: s/10286055/1/Well-Happy-Easter . This one picks up right after that one. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed the first one I hope you enjoy the continuation!**

He held the stuffed brown bunny in his hands. It had a lopsided grin and bright green eyes. The bunny was covered in short velvety dark brown fur.

Winter didn't know what to make of it. For the first time in seventy years he was faced with something that wasn't there to fight, torture, or provoke him. The bunny didn't pose a threat. It just looked at him. He ran his right hand over the fur feeling the strands between his fingers.

"_When I had bad dreams, I slept with my stuffed poodle."_

He thought back to what the girl had said when she showed him the bunny. Winter grimaced. How could a child's toy drive away the terrors that plagued him every night. Whether it be the memory wipes, or the constant refreezing , the visions always came. Night after night, he'd scream and tremble until he woke in the middle of the damp and dark alley.

His eyes bore into the green stitched eyes of the bunny. It represented something he couldn't comprehend. Winter pulled it close to him. The bunny didn't lash out, hit, or scream at him.

It was safe.

Upon realizing this he lied down under the his blue jacket, holding the bunny close.

* * *

"Katie, come down stairs for breakfast!"

The twelve year old set her hairbrush down and ran down the winding steps of the apartment to the kitchen. She sat down at the table to the small glass table and began pouring a cup of cranberry juice. Her mind wandered to her encounter with the man in the alley the night before as she watched her mother flip pancakes. Katie had been warned about interacting with homeless people before they moved here. In the quiet suburbs back in Pennsylvania, it wasn't too much of a concern. The bustling city of Washington D.C. was another story. She knew she would be in trouble if her mother found out but Katie disregarded it. It had been a few weeks since she first saw, or rather heard the man in the alley. His cries in the middle of a night terror were more than loud enough for Katie to hear in her bed. The girl racked her mind thinking what else she could do to help him.

She pushed the thoughts aside for later as her mother set a plate of pancakes in front of her. She poured syrup on top of them while her mother sat next to her.

"You're not talking much sweetie," her mother remarked after a few minutes of silent eating.

The girl shrugged her shoulders and remained silent. She wasn't trying to be rude, she just didn't know what to say. It had been nearly two months since she and her mother has relocated to Washington DC. Most of her was struggling to adjust.

"Your teachers say you don't talk much either. In class or to other students."

Katie swallowed a bit of pancakes and sighed.

"Nobody wants to be friends with the new kid mom. I've tried making friends. I have. It just hasn't worked out yet," she answered looking at her plate of half eaten pancakes.

Katie could feel her mother's eyes on her. She knew they were tear filled and regretting the last several months that had lead to them moving. The girl moved to wrap her arms around her mother. Katie knew that things had been just as hard on her mother as they had been on her. They remained in the embrace for a few minutes before Katie's mother pulled away.

"Let's get you to school," she said clearing the plates.

While her mother's back is turned Katie quickly grabbed her lavender backpack. She opened it and threw a banana and an orange in.

"You're eating more than that for lunch," her mother said putting a brown paper bag in her hands.

Katie nodded her head wondering if her mother had eyes in the back of her head. She followed her mother out the door dreading the school day that face her.

* * *

Winter woke several hours later. It was the first sleep in months that he could remember went uninterrupted. He had no nightmares, no terrors, no memories that made him cry in the night. His eyes darted to the stuffed bunny in his arms . The lopsided smiling bunny greeted him with the same face it said good night with. It had done just what the girl said it would; help keep away the nightmares. Part of Winter wanted to believe it was true, the other part just believed it was a lucky coincidence. The nightmares would come back, they always did.

He pulled himself into a sitting position and looked around the alley. People were already busy with their day, nearly walking into each other trying to accomplish their daily business. Winter sat against the brick wall avoiding it all. The constant noise drove him mad. He felt absolutely lost in the world with no direction. There was no mission for him to complete, no assassination for him no carry out. No Alexander Pierce or Hydra to control him. No memories to guide to him to who he used to be. He was an existence without a purpose of identity.

He stood briefly, stretching his arms and legs. The sun caught the glint of his metal arm. He quickly put his arms down, knowing what would follow. Winter shook his head fervently and sank back to the floor. His arms wrapped around his torso and he slowly rocked back and forth as his mind slipped into a state of panic.

Winter's eyes went blank. The alley which he sat in shifted into the red room. His mind pushed the terrors of the room into a hellish reality until he was consumed by it.

"_Put him on ice."_

"_Wipe him and start again."_

His body shook against the brick wall. Winter shut his eyes as he tried to push the voices out of his mind.

It didn't work.

An all-consuming pain washed over him in an instant. His body was on fire. He screamed his voice hoarse as he felt the pain of needles digging and scraping his skin over and over. The feeling of electrocution came next, his body burning from the inside out as he remembered the constant memory wipes that robbed him of his past. He clawed at the ground as if he was trying to pull himself out of the hell his mind enclosed around him. A shrill cry escaped his lips when he felt the ice creeping on him. It slowly froze every joint, every fiber of his body until he was nothing until he was needed again. His body was covered in a cold sweat as it convulsed on the ground.

"What's wrong?"

Winter's muddled mind recognized the voice. It was a female's, fairly young by the sound of it. He desperately wanted to open his eyes but the possibility of seeing the vision in his mind a reality terrified him.

Never again.

"Here you dropped the bunny."

Winter slowly opened his eyes to see the blonde haired girl from the night before kneeling next to him. His vision adjusted and focused on her small figure kneeling next to him. Her purple hoodie clad arm was slightly outstretched holding the bunny she had given him. No different than the night before he looked at her for several seconds, assessing her for a possible threat. Winter read her face searching for any hint of malice in her blue eyes.

"It doesn't bite and neither do I. Promise." She remained kneeling on the concrete, making no sudden movements. Winter looked at her nervously . He reached out and quickly grabbed the bunny from her hand.

A soft smile crossed her lips.

"See? Perfectly okay."

Winter said nothing and clutched the bunny to his chest. Even knowing the girl wasn't a threat, he still kept his eyes on her.

"Have you eaten since last night?"

He swallowed and shook his head.

The girl slipped her backpack off her shoulders and unzipped it. Winter watched as she opened the bag. His nervousness grew as she rummaged around the bag until she finally pulled out a brown paper bag.

"I didn't eat my lunch today," she said pulling out the sandwich made for her earlier sandwich. "Here."

Winter looked at the sandwich in the girl's hand. His mind couldn't comprehend why she was bringing him food for a second time. His eyes glanced at her and back at the sandwich.

"It's not poisoned. Look." She pulled a small corner of the sandwich off and chewed it.

The walls of his stomach churned. He took the sandwich from the girl and began eating it.

The girl sat quietly as he ate the sandwich. His eyes never left her. Her actions didn't make sense to him. For years every person he'd come across was a threat or a mission. This was the first time he was in the company of someone who wasn't trying to harm him, or requesting that he harm someone else. It was a strange feeling for Winter.

The girl looked at her watch.

"I should probably go, I have to do homework before my mom gets home. Maybe I'll come back tomorrow."

Winter didn't respond. Nothing lasted forever in his world. Missions ended, lives ended, the only thing that had been permanent in his life for the last seventy years had been pain.

"I hope you get through the night without a nightmare," the girl said quietly before she left the alley.

He somewhat scoffed as she walked out. No amount of wishing or hoping would drive away the thoughts that ran through his mind. It wouldn't erase what had been done to him, it wouldn't erase what he had done.

**A/N : There you go! I hope you enjoy it. I will try to update as soon as I can however, I'm a college student and finals are right around the corner so please be patient. Also thanks to my lovely friend Rachel who's been editing and reviewing my chapters for me. R and R and see you soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I am so sorry for the lack of updates! Finals/personal crap got in the way. Hope you enjoy this chappie!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but Katie.**

* * *

Memories.

Winter couldn't hold on to them. Occasionally bits of memories, clues to who he was would drift in and out of his mind. They would never stay, no matter how hard he tried to hold onto him. Constant memory wipes performed by HYDRA inhibited his ability to not only remember but to hold onto those memories that came in.

He had been stripped of his identity, his emotions and the essence of who he was.

The afternoon spring air surrounded him. D.C's cherry blossoms blew throughout the park he walked in. A distance away a group of boys played baseball on the dirt field. The eldest of the boys pitched a ball to small boy with the bat who attempted to hit the ball.

"_Come on Steve it's the Dodgers."_

"_I'll think about it."_

"_There's nothing to think about kid."_

"_I don't have money for a ticket."_

"_Consider it a gift from me."_

_Steve grinned for the first time in a while, probably since his mom died. He didn't bother asking how his friend managed to get the tickets._

"_Thanks Bucky."_

Winter's eyes went wide, starting at the ground from underneath his blue baseball cap. A flash of a memory passed through his mind. He recognized himself and…the man on the bridge?

"_You're my friend."_

In an instant the memory was gone. Winter clutched his temples as his head exploded with a white hot pain. He sank to his knees whimpering as the pain intensified. It wouldn't relent. He swallowed the bile that was rising in his throat silently hoping it would end soon.

Finally relief came. Winter wiped his damp forehead with the back of his hand and moved under a shaded tree in a more secluded area of the park. He leaned against the bark of the tree and allowed his body to slip to the ground. This happened every time a memory passed in and out of his mind. It was as if his mind was fighting to keep them, but the fight was always lost.

He closed his eyes and tipped his head back, allowing the crisp spring breeze to carry his thoughts away. Sounds of laughter could be heard nearby, most likely children. Winter couldn't remember the last time he laughed, or smiled. Those things were foreign to him. Most emotions or actions he witnessed on a daily basis were. He hadn't felt them in so long, he wondered if it was even possible at this point.

"Hi."

Winter opened his eyes to the young girl who'd been bringing him food standing a few feet away. She wore light blue jeans that were ripped at the knees and a sea-foam green hoodie.

"Do you mind if I sit?" she asked running a hand through her blonde hair.

By now Winter knew she posed no threat. He nodded slowly. His eyes watched as she took a seat on the grass and crossed her legs. She immediately pulled out a brown paper bag similar to the one the day before.

"I think my mom forgot I don't like ham," she half laughed. "Would you like it?"

Despite knowing the girl wasn't dangerous, her actions over the last few days still shocked Winter. He was a monster, he killed people, he wasn't even fully human anymore. With his right arm, he reached out and took the sandwich from the girl's hand. She smiled at him briefly before pulling out a banana from her bag. Winter's eyes never left her as she ate her banana in small bites.

"My name is Katie by the way. Well my mom calls me that, everyone else calls me Katherine. My dad called me-Nevermind."

He raised an eyebrow as she cut the end of her sentence off. Katie's once playful disposition rapidly turned sullen. This was the first time he had seen her in a mood that wasn't playful and light. She rummaged through her backpack until she pulled out a book.

"When the weather is nice I usually read in the park," she mumbled quietly.

Winter again nodded and watched as ripped out a few sheets of paper from a notebook and put them on a clipboard. For a few minutes he continued observing her as she read. Every once in a while she would stop and write notes on the paper.

"Could I read to you?" she asked looking up from her book.

He looked at her face. Katie's head was tilted to the side slightly as she chewed on the end of her pencil. Her eyes were darting between the paper and the book. Winter was unsure of how to respond. Everything this girl represented was a foreign concept to him. Slowly he nodded , granting the girl permission to read.

Katie grinned excitedly. She picked up the book and showed it to Winter. The blue edges were slightly tattered. On the cover were three boys and three girls, each girl looked like an identical twin of one of the boys.

He listened as Katie read on about how the girls were not the boys twins, rather their great grand children from one hundred years in the future. It seemed a bit silly to him, particularly when she reached the part about the magic book that allowed them to travel through time, but still he listened. For twenty minutes he sat with her as she read on. It didn't take long for him to notice that Katie had difficulty reading. She tripped over words frequently as she read. Still, he admired her for trying. When she reached the end of a page, she closed the book the book and scribbled several notes on the notebook.

"My teacher says I need to practice because I'm not as good as everyone else in the class," Katie said putting the book away.

"Why?"

The sound that came from Winter's voice surprised even himself. It was hoarse and cracked from being out of use.

"The letters and the words get really turned around in my head," Katie replied, slightly surprised that the man has actually talked. She zipped up her purple backpack and pushed it to the side before laying on the grass.

If Winter was honest with himself, Katie intrigued him. She represented something he recognized, but couldn't quite recall. He watched as her gentle carefree eyes gazed at the clouds that danced across the sky above them.

Several moments passed before she sat up and checked a light blue digital watch that was strapped around her wrist. Winter took note of a slight eye roll as she pulled her back pack over her shoulders.

"I have to go now. My mom's going to be back home any second to take me to church school." Katie stuck her tongue out slightly in annoyance.

"I'll be here tomorrow if the weather is nice again. See you then?"

Winter didn't know how to react. Again he was faced with something he wasn't used to having. Choices. He tried to focus on the thoughts that ran through his mind. Katie didn't pose a threat, she brought him food, and he would even admit that she amused him. He nodded his head slowly before allowing a word to slip past his lips.

"Yes."

Katie grinned widely. She nodded back before sprinting out of the park and down the road to her apartment. Winter watched as she faded out of view, almost unaware that he had spoken again.

* * *

**A/N: There you go! I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. Once school is over it will be updated more frequently. Did anyone figure out what book Katie was reading to Winter? Guess in the reviews! Until next chapter!**


	3. Phone Calls and Nightmares

**A/N: Again I'm sorry for the delay. No long note! Just read! Also the book Katie was reading to Winter? The Time Warp Trio Series.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but Katie and her nameless mother.**

Katie sat at her dining room table working through her math homework. She tapped the end of the purple glitter pencil on the paper as she worked out the computations in her head. Math, unlike reading came easy to the girl. She quickly scribbled her work on her paper before taking a sip of the glass of milk that sat next to her workbook. Katie heard the phone ring, but remained at the table working, leaving her mother to answer it.

"Hello? John?

Her ears instantly perked up at her father's name.

"Is that dad?"

Katie's mother pointed her out of the living room and up the stairs. She could tell from the stern expression on her face, that disobeying would not be in her best interest at the moment. The girl perched herself at the top of the steps out of her mother's line of sight.

"You can't keep calling like this. You'll confuse her."

She bit her lip as she listened.

"You aren't a part of her life anymore. –Well maybe you should have thought about that before you landed yourself in prison. She's barely settled as it is! The last thing she needs is you checking up on her. You brought trouble into our lives once already. We don't need you to do it again. If you really care about your daughter, you won't call us again."

Katie swallowed back the tears as her mother hung up the phone. She walked down the steps to the brightly lit kitchen. Her mother was over a pot of pasta on the stove.

"Why didn't you let me talk to dad?" Katie asked quietly.

Her mother sighed and turned away from the pot.

"Katherine, come sit."

Katie cringed as her mother used her actual name. She took a seat at the small table in the kitchen. Her eyes settled on the cerulean of her jeans.

"We've talked about this before Katie. Your father and his partners stole from other people. He knew the people he was involved with were dangerous and he put us in danger by working with them. He didn't care."

"But why can't I talk to him?" she begged.

Her mother sighed wearily.

"Katherine I know it's hard for you. But you have to understand that he isn't going to be a part of your life anymore. He has to deal with the ramifications of what he did. The sooner you understand that, the quicker you'll adjust."

Blonde strands of hair fell loosely in Katie's face as she shook her head. Tears streamed down her face.

"I don't want to adjust. I want dad back."

"You need to realize that's not going to happen," her mother responded tone growing more terse.

She bit her lip and stood up, leaving the kitchen.

"I'm going for a walk."

Katie ran outside, slamming the door behind her. The cold night air hit the tears streaming down her face. She made her way into the alley next to the apartment complex. Her body rested against the brick wall for support. Katie briefly wondered if things like the Time Warp Trio were possible. Perhaps one day she would find her own magic book, then she could erase the last three months of her life.

Katie shook her head. Her father was in jail, nothing would change that. She was stuck in this city, nothing would change that.

In a flash of anger she kicked the dumpster and screamed in anger.

Among the wind and the faint passing traffic, there was a clatter behind the dumpster. Katie slowly walked to the other side of the dumpster. Her face fell as she recognized the face. Cowering behind the dumpster, in a torn blue shirt, jeans and muddied shoes was the man she'd spent the last few days befriending. His eyes danced in fear as she walked closer.

"Remember me? I brought you food. And I read to you yesterday."

Still, the man pushed himself against the dumpster, away from Katie.

"I didn't mean to scare you! I'm sorry. I didn't know you were here."

Winter shook his head as he began rocking against the metal trash bin. He placed his hands over his ears.

Katie swallowed trying to stop more tears from falling. The wind picked up, whipping against her face. She sat down on the ground and pulled her jacket around her body.

"I'm not allowed to see my dad anymore," she mumbled. "He's in jail. He calls sometimes but my mom won't let me talk to him. Ever. Like today. She thinks it's bad for me, that I need to let him go. I got upset when she said that, came out here and kicked the dumpster. I really didn't mean to scare you."

Winter's hyperventilating slowed slightly, but his eyes made no contact with Katie. His mind tried to process her words, while trying to calm speeding thoughts swimming through his head. He watched as Katie stood slowly and backed away.

"I'm going to go now." He took note of the break in her voice and watched as she left, her arm coming up to wipe her face.

Hours later Winter sat in the same spot against the dumpster. He managed to steal a bagel from a late night food vendor which he slowly ate. He consumed the bagel and rested against the dumpster, allowing his eyes to flutter shut.

The peace did not last for long. A loud shrieking noise rattled against the brick walls of the alley. Winter was suddenly alert in an attack stance. His eyes darted throughout the dark alley looking for a moving form. When he saw no one, he looked to where the sound seemed to stem from. The shrieking was coming from the apartment building opposite the dumpster. Carefully he climbed the fire escape until he reached the window where the sounds of terror were based.

In a bed, wrapped in a lavender sheet was Katie. Her body thrashed about in the bed as she screamed. Winter knew all too well that she was having a nightmare. Her actions were no different than his own when he was plagued by nightly terrors. He felt something for the child, but he couldn't recognize it.

Gently, he tapped on the window, hopefully loud enough to rouse the girl from the terrors. After a few taps he watched her wake. Katie's eyes danced around the room as she sat up shaking. Before she could spot him, Winter made his way down the fire escape and back to his dumpster.

**A/N: There you go. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It should have answered any questions that came up in the last chapter. I promise it's going to pick up after this just bear with me. Please read and review!**


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